Unanswered Prayers
by Bren Gail
Summary: Penelope Garcia reflects on many things while attending the wedding reception of her best friend. Response to Country Song Prompt Challenge Endings, New Beginnings, and Starting Over. Hotch/Garcia. Mentions Derek/Emily, Ellie Spicer, and Sean Hotchner.


**Important A/N: **This story is set in the summer of 2012. However, Ellie Spicer is not ten years old, as Criminal Minds canon would have her. In this story she is eighteen years old. The case with Billy Flynn happened when she was twelve/thirteen instead of the canon seven/eight. Penelope and Derek adopted her after having her as a foster daughter for several months.

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><p><strong>Unanswered Prayers<strong>

"_Remember when you're talkin' to the man upstairs that just because he may not answer doesn't mean he don't care. Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered."_

Penelope Garcia was a nervous wreck.

The tears silently fell from the corner of her eyes as she nibbled at her sparkly gold painted acrylic nails.

She had just participated in the wedding of Derek Morgan and the beautiful bride had not been her.

It was amazing how everything had changed within a little over a year's time, but it had changed drastically.

If this wedding had occurred last summer then she would have been shattered beyond repair.

She would have been devastated and instead of crying silent tears of joy she would have been inwardly sobbing her heart out as she plastered a fake cheerful smile as she supported her best friend.

Fortunately, she had gotten over her lust and obsessive crush for her best friend; instead, she felt respect and unconditional love for him. She was happy that he got his happy ever after even though it was not with her. As the beginning chords of Garth Brooks' song, Unanswered Prayers, began she smiled through the tears. The meaning behind the song now reflected what had occurred within her life the past few years. She had prayed to God for Derek's love only to find that she had always had it, yet not in the way that she had thought she wanted. If God had answered her prayer this reception would have been for her and Derek and of Derek and Emily. If she had gotten her happily ever after with Derek, she would not have been gifted with the unexpected yet totally warranted happily ever after she had embarked on with her longtime friend and boss, Aaron Hotchner. She loved Aaron thoroughly and the love she thought she had for Derek had never been so full of genuine happiness. She, also, adored Aaron's six year old son. She knew that she could and would never be able to be his mother yet she loved and cared for him as if he were hers.

She sighed as she softly swayed to the music and slightly jumped when she felt one of Aaron's hands touch her shoulder and the other guide her by the waist to the dance floor. She relaxed into his arms and closed her eyes as they swayed back and forth. She loved him and they had been dating for several months, but she was still insecure with public displays of affection, yet she soon forgot them as she spotted her eighteen year old daughter slow dancing with a thirty year old man.

Aaron noticed the change in her demeanor and whispered in her ear. "They're harmless."

"Aaron," She stated warily. "You don't know that,"

He interrupted her. "That she has a crush on him? Yes, I know and I'm sure that he knows too, but he is not going to take advantage of her. He's giving her a memory to cherish."

"No," She shook her head as if in emphasis. "He's leading her on."

"Will it help if I give him the riot act?" He asked dryly.

"No," She again shook her head, yet a small smirk formed on her bright red lips. "I think I should."

"Pen, darling," He stated as if pacifying her. "Let's agree that we both will, but there will be no threatening him with his business license."

'Ooh," She said as her eyes brightened with mischief. "you gave me an idea."

"Penelope." He stated in a warning tone.

"Okay, fine," She slightly huffed. "But I can't promise anything else."

"Okay." He again stated as if pacifying her. "Sounds fair."

"We can't let Ellie know that we've talked to him, because it would mortify her if she knew that you knew." She sighed. "I don't want to even think of what it would do to her if she found out that Sean knew."

"I won't let on that I know." He assured.

"Do you think that it is wise for her to stay with him when she goes to college?" She asked as she nibbled on her bottom lip. "I might be able to work something out and get her into a dorm."

"Penelope, you know as well as I do, that the dorms are maxed to capacity," He paused in realization of what she implied. "No, you're not going to do something for her to get a dorm. Think about what it would to do the student that you've pushed aside for Ellie to get that dorm when she has a perfectly respectable place to live."

"I personally don't think that it will be respectable." She refuted. "Ellie is a beautiful girl and your brother is a very handsome alpha male who can have anyone with the snap of his fingers. He's like you in that way."

"Pen, I had to do a bit more than snap my fingers to get you, so no were are not alike in that way." He paused and sighed. "You've never expressed concern with any of the men of the team interacting with Ellie and we all are alpha males even Reid."

"Because I know that none of you would do that to her or me." She staetd vehemenately. "I, also, know that Ellie would never come on to any of you, but I have a feeling that she will try with Sean."

"Have you forgotten that she did try to come on to Reid?" Aaron asked.

"Aaron, she was fifteen." She retorted dryly. "She had a small crush on him. Giving him secret admirer gifts for Valentine's Day is not coming on to him."

"Reid was traumatized." He chuckled. "He didn't know how to respond to them without hurting her feelings. Somehow they overcame that awkwardness."

"Aaron," She sighed. "I think she's in love with him and that scares me." She sniffled. " know how it feels to love someone and them not love them back. I don't want her to go through that type of pain."

"Penelope, you never have to worry about that ever again." He kissed her tenderly on her temple. "I love you and I always will."

"I love you too, boss man." She replied as she tightened her hold on his right hand.

"I love how you want to protect everyone," He tightened his embrace of her. "But you can't protect Ellie from heartbreak. If Sean doesn't break her heart, someone else will."

"I know," She stated. "But I don't want her to get involved with him."

"He knows to not to get involved without us telling us," He stated before he winced as the grip of her nails dug into his right palm. "But we will." He sighed when she removed her nails from his palm. "However, if they're meant to be, then who are we to step in their way?"

"But," Penelope started to refute the question when he interrupted her.

"No, Penelope, all we can do is talk to Sean and let him know that she is off limits. You'll talk to Ellie about him being off limits, but honey if they don't listen, it is out of our hands."

"Aaron, I know you're right, but what if they get together and they break up? They'll always be that chance that they'll see each other at holidays and what not. I don't think Ellie could handle that heartbreak."

"Penelope, a few years ago I couldn't imagine you being Derek's Best Woman at his wedding nor could I see you being joyous and happy about him marrying someone else besides you, but look here we are, you did and you are. I'm proud of you. I know that you love me, but I also know that you still love Derek, but you're content with being his best friend."

"Aaron," She started to deny the allegations, but he interrupted her.

"No, don't Aaron me, I know it, and you don't have to hide it from me. I understand that Derek will always have a place in your heart just as you understand that Haley will always be in mine."

"That's different Aaron." She stated.

"I don't think it is that very much different." He retorted.

"Okay, you're right, but what if Ellie is lucky enough to find the man that she truly loves and he loves her just as much? What if," She paused to listen to what Aaron had to say.

He interrupted her. "We can't dwell on the what if's, because then we waste what is. I love and trust my brother and Ellie to dowhat's right, but who are we to say what is right for them? Our naysayers had no right to say that we shouldn't be together, but they said it anyway. I don't want to be that to them. I want to be able to support whatever happens."

"As usual you're right." She huffed, before she added. "But I'm still going to talk to him with or without you.."

He smiled as he answered her. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

As there conversation ended, the song was nearing the last chord.

All was well with Penelope as she saw Derek give his bride another kiss before twirling her around the dance floor one more time before the reception would end. She smiled that her best friends had found love within each other.

Penelope was thankful that God had granted her three prayers that she had not thought to of asked for; adopting Ellie, loving Aaron, and doting on Jack. She sighed as she thought that the next wedding she would attend would be her own. She would marry the man and gain a step-son who God had given her to love and cherish for the rest of her days. Weddings had a way of symbolising not only a new beginning, but an ending and starting over too.

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><p><strong><em>The publish date of this story is October 14, 2011. Each lovely reader and reviewer has one day to submit your nomination ballot for the Second Annual Profiler's Choice Awards hosted by ilovelotalot and Tonnie2001969. The nomination ballot can be found under the wonderful forum Chit Chat On Author's Corner. Please read the rules and guidelines before submitting your ballot. Thank you and good luck to all of my fellow author's. The awards are depending on each and every nomination ballot so please nominate, nominate, nominate. The deadline is October 15, 2011. <em>**

**_Also for all those who signed up for the Endings, New Beginnings, and Starting Over Country Song Prompt Challenge, the deadline is October 15, 2011._**


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